The press has hailed her as “…a star of tomorrow, today…” They’ve said, “… when she sings, all she has to do is open her mouth and the notes spill out sweetly and effortlessly.” Regis Philbin called her “A beautiful operatic singer…boy oh boy, is she great! She’s really amazing!” In June Melissa Zapin sang a concert with Marcello Giordani at the Fresno Opera House, fresh off her solo Carnegie Hall debut in Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Consessore. Her recent roles include The Countess in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and covering Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello with the Vero Beach Opera. She kicked off her year with a private operatic concert for Donald Trump and his guests at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. In October Melissa will be singing the role of Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with the Satori Opera.
Artists at Encompass Arts
Willy Falk has performed in many Broadway shows and appeared on operatic stages throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. He is a graduate of Harvard University and The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Willy received a Tony© Award nomination for his portrayal of “Chris” in the original Broadway production of Miss Saigon.
Mr. Giovanni Guagliardo is quickly establishing himself as an important young baritone to watch on the international opera scene.
2009, has proved to be a fruitful year for Lyric tenor Brad Wisk winning the Nicholas Loren Competition, second place in The Santa Barbara Performing Arts Foundation Competition and an additional scholarship from the L.A Opera Buffs.
The versatile American singer Laura Pedersen brings to opera houses and to concert halls, an exciting lyric soprano voice, beauty and a rare ability to make each role come alive on stage.
Highlights for Laura Pedersen in the 2009-2010 season are premiers of Figaro’s Hangover and Tempo Fuori del Tempo at Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Laura sang her first Donna Anna with the Satori Opera. Laura returned to Indianapolis Opera as Musetta.
In the 2008-2009 season, Ms. Pedersen sang Musetta in La Boheme with Opera Cleveland, and Opera Delaware. She sang her first Antonia in Les Contes Hoffmann with the Indianapolis Opera. She also sang again with the Cleveland Orchestra in concert with MET tenor, Carl Tanner.
Soprano Sara Heaton is a semi-finalist in this year’s Competizione dell’opera in Dresden, was a finalist in the 2010 Giulio Gari competition, and a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera competition in 2008. She had her professional opera debut as Despina in Così fan tutte with the Boston Baroque orchestra, led by conductor Martin Pearlman.
Born, raised and educated in the United States, Ivan Törzs has lived and worked in Europe since 1985, and has carved a career as one of the most versatile, cosmopolitan and experienced operatic conductors on the European scene. Fluent in nine languages, he is equally at home in German, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish or American repertoire.
Metropolitan Opera Baritone, Gary Simpson, will sing his fourth production of HOLLAENDER in Der Fliegende Hollaender at the Bucharest National Theater in March-May, 2010. Gary also sang HOLLAENDER and SCARPIA with the Statni Opera Prague as well as SCARPIA with the Seattle Opera. Gary has sung two productions of SWEENEY in Sweeney Todd and Cervantes/”Don Quixote” in Man of La Mancha. Mr.
American Tenor Simeon Esper has quickly established himself as a sought-after artist in both the United States and Europe. In the 2010/11 season he will appear with the Deutsche Oper am Rhein as Pedrillo in DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL and returns to Seattle Opera as ein Junge Seemann/Ein Hirt in TRISTAN UND ISOLDE and as Walther von der Vogelweide in TANNHÄUSER.
Australian soprano Caroline Wenborne is currently an ensemble member of the Vienna Staatsoper. For the 2010//2011 season she will be heard as First Lady in Die Zauberflöte, Gutrune, in Gotterdämmerung and as Fiordiligi when the Vienna Staatsoper travels to Athens in the spring.
New York tenor, Brian Jagde, is an Adler fellow at the San Francisco Opera in the 2009-2010 season. Also in the 2009-2010 season, he sang the title role of WERTHER in Poznan, Poland and MACDUFF in Macbeth. Brian was recently awarded a grant from the prestigious Singer’s Development Foundation.
The superb artists of Encompass Arts join forces for a magnificent evening of song.
Soprano Harolyn Blackwell is recognized for her expressive and exuberant performances, with a career that has spanned opera, concert and recital stages around the world. Following college, the Washington, D.C. native began her career on Broadway in Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story”. Shortly afterwards, she was selected as a finalist for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and her career path changed from musical theatre to opera. Since then, she has performed with many of the major national and international opera companies, and at festivals around the world, including Lyric Opera of Chicago, Glyndebourne Festival, Teatro Colon de Buenes Aires, Seattle Opera, Opera de Nice, Miami Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Aix-en-Provence Festival, Opera Orchestra of New York and New York’s Mostly Mozart Festival.
Wagnerian tenor, Adam Laurence Herskowitz, returns to the Metropolitan Opera for the second consecutive season in 2010-2011. Adam will sing the FIRST ARMED MAN and cover the role of FROH. Adam will also be seen in Fanciulla, Boccanegra and Ariadne. He has been asked to join the MET on tour in Japan.
MICHAEL RECCHIUTI, Artistic Director of the American Opera Theater, and founding Principal Conductor of the New Jersey Opera Theater, is active internationally as a conductor, and as a pianist and accompanist. He has collaborated with stars of the international opera stage, Grammy and Tony award winners, and major musical theater personalities.
Whether in concert or on stage in an opera, tenor Philip Webb receives rave reviews for being one the most remarkable new voices in classical music today.
Mihoko Kinoshita is recognized as a major interpreter of “Cio Cio San” in Madama Butterfly. Mihoko has performed the role at Vancouver, Detroit, Baltimore, Phoenix, Santa Margherita Festival, Belgrade, Sofia opera houses. Ms. Kinoshita will reprise the role at Royal Albert Hall in London, in the 2010-2011 season.
Marcello Giordani has been hailed by the international press as one of the most important tenors on the opera stage today. In demand by the world’s major opera houses, Giordani has appeared repeatedly at the Metropolitan Opera of New York, the Teatro alla Scala of Milan, the Royal Opera House of London, the Vienna Staatsoper, the Deutsche Oper of Berlin, the Opéra National of Paris, the Opernhaus Zürich, the Arena di Verona, the Teatro Real of Madrid, the Gran Teatre del Liceu di Barcelona, the Teatro Massimo Bellini of Catania, and many others. His exceptional versatility and vocal extension have allowed him to encompass a vast repertory, running the gamut from the Bel Canto operas of Rossini, Donizetti and Bellini and the lyricism of the French operatic repertoire, to the more dramatic roles of Verdi and Puccini. More recently, he has also undertaken the great vocal works of Berlioz, such as La damnation de Faust and Les Troyens.
John Paul Huckle, Bass, is a native of Pittsburgh, PA. In the 2010-2011 season, John will be joining the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Teatro Regio in Torino as the top prize winner of the American Berlin Foundation Scholarship. This summer Mr. Huckle will be performing the role of Sparafucile at Lyrique-en-Mer/Festival of Belle-Île in France.
Internationally acclaimed tenor, Jesus Garcia, has performed on major stages all over the world. Specializing in the romantic roles of the Italian and French repertoire, his dynamic stage presence and soaring vocalism have made him one of opera’s most sought-after young rising stars.
Ben made his film debut as Papageno in Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of Mozart’s The Magic Flute with James Conlon conducting (Venice & Toronto Film Festivals; Movie Soundtrack). He was last seen on Broadway as Javert In Les Miserables. Other Broadway credits: Trevor Graydon in Thoroughly Modern Millie Marcello in Baz Luhrmann’s La boheme (Tony Honor; Cast Recording) and Enjolras in Les Miserables. Ben’s regional credits include File in 110 in the Shade (Pasadena Playhouse) and Patrick in Mame (Hollywood Bowl). Concert work includes engagements with the LA Philharmonic and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Film/TV: Miriam, Numb3rs. Ben Davis
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Romanian soprano, Irina Iordachescu, made her La Scala debut in 2007 as ZEYNO KARI in “Teneke” by Fabio Vacchi. Ermanno Olmi directed, Maestro Roberto Abbado conducted. In the 2010 season, Irina sang LIU in Sofia. She will return to Sofia to sing NEDDA and GILDA. In July and August of 2009, Irina sang GILDA in the Sankt Margarethen Festival in Austria. In November 2007, in Las Palmas and Ravenna, soprano Irina Iordachescu sang the role of IRENE from ‘Il ritorno di Don Calandrino’ by Domenico Cimarosa, an opera recently discovered by Maestro Riccardo Muti. The opera had the international premiere in the spring of 2007, in Salzburg. Maestro Riccardo Muti took the production on tour to Las Palmas at the TEATRO PEREZ GALDOS, Ravenna, Pisa and Piacenza followed in December 2007. Since 2005, soprano Irina Iordachescu has been a soloist of the Bucharest National Opera. At the Bucharest Opera, Ms. Lordachescu has sung LUCIA from Lucia di Lammermoor, GILDA from Rigoletto, NORINA from Don Pasquale, DOMIZIA from Decebalo by L. Leo, FIORDILIGI from Cosi fan tutte, PAMINA from Die Zauberflote , SUSANNA from Le nozze di Figaro , MUSETTA from La Boheme , VALENCIENNE from Die Lustige Witwe by F.Lehar.
Rod Nelman is one of America’s most versatile basses with a repertoire that encompasses roles by Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, and, more recently, Wagner and Strauss. He has also earned critical acclaim as Wotan in Long Beach Opera’s condensed “Ring” cycle which he repeated with Pittsburgh Opera Theater.
Roman Korotin a.k.a Roy Keane
Film composer and producer, born in Ukraine in 1977.
Started his career as producer in early 90s, doing scores for local theatre, then joined the creative team at the radio-station, where he developed skills not just as a producer, but also as a sound engineer.
In 1995 Roman releases first single as composer/producer scoring 2nd position in National Charts.
Metropolitan Opera Bass-Baritone, David Crawford, is enjoying another busy season in New York. David’s voice has been hailed as “one of the great
young voices in opera today.”
In the 2009-10 season at the Met he will be performing The First
Priest in Die Zauberflote, The Jailer in Tosca, The Wigmaker in
Ariadne auf Naxos, and Ensemble #4 in The Nose. Other assignments
Brendel grew up in Wiesbaden, where he took singing lessons with Rolff Sartorius during his time at the conservatory. In 1971, he debuted at the Pfalztheater in Kaiserslautern as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte. His artistic home for the greater part of his career was the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, where in 1977 he became the youngest Kammersänger in the company’s history.
William Andrew Stuckey is a baritone whose performances have been acclaimed for their visceral power and beauty. Mr. Stuckey continues to expand his repertoire adding roles and growing as an artist and is considered an important interpreter of the Verdi roles including Conte di Luna in Il Trovatore, the title role of Falstaff, and Germont in La Traviata.
Metropolitan Opera soprano, Irina Rindzuner, was born in Russia. She is quickly establishing herself as one of the world’s most versatile and expressive sopranos. Upcoming performances for Ms. Rindzuner include: Cio Cio San in Spain, Minnie (cover) with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Leonora in il Trovatore with the Linz Landestheater and Turandot in Saarbrueken.
American spinto soprano Christina Lamberti has gained international attention with versatility of repertoire, gleaming tone, and soulful presence. She has not only garnered attention from portrayals at notable companies such as San Francisco Opera and Singapore Lyric Opera, but has also had a long standing relationship with the innovative Theatre Regensburg in Germany since 2006.
American baritone Jerett Gieseler has been hailed as one of the most promising young baritones today, with “a powerful voice” of “great dignity and lyrical intensity” (allartsreview4u.com). Gieseler is a prizewinner of the 2010 Irene Dalis Competition, the 2009 Liederkranz Vocal Competition, Wagner Division; the 2009 Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition,
Lisa Vroman starred for several years on Broadway as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera. As Christine, she garnered Theatre Critic’s awards for the role in a record breaking run in San Francisco, and did a return engagement at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. Ms. Vroman starred as Rosabella in The Most Happy Fella, making her New York City Opera debut with Paul Sorvino in the title role. This season Lisa made her Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Pops, starred as Lili Vanessi in Kiss Me Kate with Glimmerglass Opera, played Marian Paroo in The Music Man with Shirley Jones( Mrs. Paroo) and Patrick Cassidy( Harold Hill) at The Bushnell Theatre in Hartford; sang the role of Birdie in Regina with Utah Opera, conducted by Keith Lockhart; made her New Jersey Opera debut as Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, (directed by Ira Siff), replacing MET soprano Ruth Ann Swenson, and premiered two Comic Operas (John Musto/ William Bolcum) with New York Festival of Song. Her Broadway debut was in Aspects of Love, and she is the first to play both Fantine and Cosette in Les Miserables. For PBS she was featured with Colm Wilkinson and Michael Ball in Cameron Mackintosh’s Hey, Mr. Producer! at the Lyceum Theatre in London, a Royal Gala attended by Queen Elizabeth, and sang the role of Johanna in the San Francisco Symphony’s Emmy award winning Sweeney Todd in Concert, with Patti Lupone and George Hearn. Both are available on DVD. Lisa starred as Laurey in Oklahoma filmed live in concert for the BBC’s PROMS festival at The Royal Albert Hall in London and starred as Mary Turner in Gershwin’s Of Thee I Sing/ Let ‘Em Eat Cake in concert with Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the San Francisco Symphony and Chorus, directed by Pat Birch.
Hailed by San Francisco Classical voice as possessing the “kind of tenor that pours forth powerfully, effortlessly, seemingly for any length of time,” tenor Wesley Rogers is making his mark on both operatic and concert stages throughout the United States. Wes will make his Semperoper debut in Dresden as BELMONTE in the 2010-2011 season.
“The voice booms, roars, rumbles through his 6’5” frame and bellows forth when he sings, even when he speaks, a Basso Profundo” (The Washington Post). His singing is described as “Thrilling, huge, cavernous and evokes memories of Paul Robeson and Boris Christoff rolled into one” (The Italian Voice) Mr. Thompson is at home in both opera and concert. This season 2009-2010 makes his debut with Oper Kiel in Kiel, Germany where he will perform major roles in Aida, Der Meistersinger and Faust.
Erica Miller, soprano, made her European debut in the fall of 2008 singing Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte with the Deutsche Oper Berlin. This is becoming her signature role, as she has also performed Königin at Opera North and most recently at the Festival Internacional de Música de Almansa in Spain last July. For the 2008-2009 season, Ms.
Enjoying a 25-year career as a stage performer, Dean Anthony has quickly established himself as a Stage Director on the operatic scene with his gritty and physical productions of TOSCA at Florentine Opera, Anton Coppola’s SACCO AND VANZETTI with Opera Tampa, MANON LESCAUT at Shreveport Opera, THE MERRY WIDOW at Opera on the James, MAN OF LA MANCHA, SWEENEY TODD, LE TRAGÉDIE DE CARMEN, and HANSE
Australian- born, Claire Primrose, is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts where she studied violin and voice. She has won many awards and prizes including the ABC Vocal and Instrumental Competition, a Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Scholarship Award and Metropolitan Opera Auditions Regional Winner.
Born in Lamezia Terme, Italy, Leonardo Caimi is well suited to the Italian lyric tenor repertoire. An Italian critic recently wrote of Mr.Caimi, “..the quality of his voice is noteworthy for the beauty of timbre, elegance in phrasing and his musicality…” after his performance as Errico Settebellizze from the worldwide revival of Nino Rota’s Napoli Millionaria at the 2010 Festival della Valle D’Itria.
Nina Warren is an internationally acclaimed artist, who has appeared in the most demanding interpretative dramatic parts on the stages of important theaters throughout the world. She has performed the title role in Salome with the Staatstheater Stuttgart, Baltimore Opera, Seattle Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Opera Pacific, as well as Dresden, Berlin, Frankfurt, Trieste, Antwerp, Ghent, Utah and Arizona and in concert with the Kölner Rundfunk Orchester, Bochum Symphony, Junge Deutsche Orchester with Lothar Zagrosek and at Indiana University with Julius Rudel.
The Los Angeles Times hailed Alan Dornak as “an impressive new countertenor on the scene” for his performance of Athamas in Handel’s Semele with the Long Beach Opera. Classics Today praised Mr. Dornak for “using his big countertenor voice with authority and accuracy” when he sang the role of Tauride in Handel’s Arianna in Creta with New York’s Gotham Chamber Opera. Mr. Dornak’s engagements in California, New York, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Holland, Spain and Brazil, have established him as an artist of international critical acclaim.
Italian bass Dario Russo debuted in the role of Wagner in Gounod’s Faust at the Teatro Massimo Vincenzo Bellini of Catania in February of 2010. This summer he will perform the roles of the Marchese and Doctor Grenvil in La Traviata. In the fall, Mr. Russo will make his Teatro Reggio di Parma debut in I Vespri Siciliani performing with Nucci, Dessi, and F.Armiliato which will be recorded for DVD release. In 2011 he will make his Teatro Regio di Torino debut in Tosca, followed by I Vespri Siciliani and La Traviata.
Much sought after for her portrayal of the Queen of the Night, Anna Vikre has appeared in Die Zauberflöte in Mexico City at Bellas Artes (televised live throughout South America), Florida Grand Opera, Opera Columbus, Connecticut Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Opera Memphis, Opera Pacific, Nashville Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Stadttheater Geißen among others.
Time flies when you’re enjoying yourself. That popular sentiment occurred to Anthony Laciura as he heard an announcer introduce him as the host for a recent Saturday afternoon Metropolitan Opera broadcast. The facts, for the moment, startled him:
860 performances of some 59 roles! “I did all that?” he thought to himself. For the past twenty-five consecutive seasons, yes, he did all that. Of course there was more debuts elsewhere: Geneva, Amsterdam, Montreal, Mexico City, Tokyo, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and many summer seasons at Santa Fe.
Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs is recognized as one of the most exciting lirico-spinto sopranos on the international scene today. Critics have praised her virtuosic bel canto technique, the beauty of her voice, her pyrotechnic coloratura, and her unerring theatricality. Hailed as one of the best young Verdi singers by Placido Domingo, she appeared with him at the Washington National Opera as Giordani’s Fedora in a gala performance. Most recently she was heard internationally as Tosca at the Metropolitan Opera on a live Sirius Satellite broadcast with the tenor Marcello Giordani.
Character tenor, Jamin Flabiano, began his musical studies with the trumpet. After attending college on an instrumental performance scholarship at Texas Christian University, he realized his passion was opera. He transferred to Oklahoma City University where he completed his undergraduate and graduate studies in vocal performance.
Cheryl Studer’s startling and brilliant career began at a very early age. After studying voice during high school and college, her promising talent caught Leonard Bernstein’s attention; he gave her full scholarships to the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood, where she studied with Phyllis Curtin. She debuted at Tanglewood in 1976 in Bach’s _St.
Dramatic soprano Susan Neves has been internationally acclaimed in theaters such as the Opera Bastille in Paris, the Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Gran Teatro del Liceu in Barcelona ,L’Arena di Verona and many others as a thrilling singing actress. Neves commands a repertoire of some of the most challenging roles written for soprano. She has won particular acclaim as a Verdi soprano of the first rank as her Verdi repertoire is uncommonly vast and includes Abigaille in Nabucco, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Odabella in Attila, Elvira in Ernani, Leonora in Il Trovatore and La Forza del Destino, Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera, Elisabetta di Valois in Don Carlo, the title role of Aida and Alice Ford in Falstaff. She has been especially identified with the role of Abigaille which has played a significant part in her career and which she has sung all over the world including a new production in 2000 at the Deutsche Oper under Marcello Viotti, in two revivals at the Bastille in Paris, in Montreal, Santiago, Parma, Genoa, Liege, Munich, Cagliari, Bilbao, at the Arena di Verona, Bologna, Monte Carlo ( where she also sang Aida ) and the outdoor festivals in Nimes and the Choregies d’Orange, the Metropolitan Opera and the Vienna State Opera.